Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
After being away for 5 days and arriving home last night. What’s the first thing I do? I got cracking on today’s issue before unpacking, even, and dropped it into your inbox this morning. Meow! Talk about dedication! 😀
In today’s issue: 👇
- Drive-In Built by Rivals
- Early Voting Starts Today
- Lert Thai Street Food
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
(GREATER) ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
The Drive-In Built by Rivals That Outlasted Them All
On a Monday night in May 1955, headlights swung off U.S. 50 East onto a brand-new lot with space for 550 cars. Warner Bros. had the western. RCA had the in-car speakers. And somewhere on the lot, a shiny 1955 Ford was waiting for whoever held the winning ticket. Why not give away a car on opening night?
The Colonial Drive-In was built by a dozen partners from six competing theater outfits who pooled their money, poured a concrete screen tower, and opened one of Central Florida’s most beloved outdoor theaters. Floyd Theatres took over in 1963 and kept it running for nearly three more decades, long enough to outlast the drive-in boom, the disco era, and the rise of the VCR.
It closed October 3, 1992. Co-founder Bob Partlow explained it simply: several partners had died, and the rest were “all getting up in age.” The land sold in 1994 for $843,600. A law school sits there now.
One photo survives of the marquee spelling out “Merry Christmas Judy,” a message to the Floyd Theaters supervisor who photographed the theaters before they were gone. Without her, that’s all we’d have left: a parking lot and a grand-opening ad.
🍿 Intermission’s over. The full story goes deeper: three Colonial Drive-Ins on one road, a snack bar stocked with Orange County-grown concessions, and the exact moment the drive-in boom started losing to the VCR. Get back to your seat and read the expanded story, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
No Stalling, Central Florida. Early Voting Starts Today!
Consider this a PSA as eight Central Florida counties: Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia open early voting TODAY (Monday), and there’s really no excuse to sit this one out. Marion and Sumter counties aren’t part of the early window.
Go before work, after work, on a Saturday….the flexibility is the whole point.
Early voting also cuts down Election Day lines, gives voters a chance to catch ballot errors before they become permanent, and eliminates the panic of a flat tire or a sick kid derailing your plans.
Bonus: any early voting site in your county works, not just your assigned precinct. Mail-in ballot requests are due Thursday, October 22nd.
Get on it! 😀
Mills 50 Just Made It Official. These Five Businesses Are the Real Deal.
And they finally have the hardware to prove it.
Track Shack, The Center, Wally’s, Colonial Photo and Hobby, and Cameo Theatre are now wearing historic plaques along Mills Avenue, the beating heart of the Mills 50 district where Mills Avenue crosses Colonial Drive, just a mile from downtown.
The message is simple: these spots didn’t just survive, they helped build the neighborhood around them. And the people still running them deserve their flowers too.
This is only round one. Five more plaques are coming, and a self-guided walking tour is locked in for 2027.
(Get the full buzz on Mills 50’s newly crowned local legends with Jayna Manohalal, right here)
A Historic House on the Line
Four hours of debate. Zero decisions.
Winter Park’s City Commission punted on the fate of Merrywood, buying itself until November 11th to figure out whether a $15 million record-breaking property sale comes with any obligation to preserve what already exists there.
The new owner wants to split the lot, which means asking the city to bend its own rules. Commissioners want something in return. The two sides just can’t agree on how much of the nearly 90-year-old historic home is worth saving.
Meanwhile, residents are growing restless, convinced that Winter Park’s soul is being quietly auctioned off, one demolition at a time.
(Get the full buzz on Winter Park’s priciest preservation puzzle with Beth Kassab, right here)
👉 Partner With Orlando Signal 👈
💼 Who’s Hiring in Orlando?
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🎢 Director, Journey Automation and Marketing Data Operations Universal Parks and Resorts | Orlando
Build the data engine that powers personalized guest marketing across Universal's global destinations, leading audience strategy, journey automation, and first-party data activation at massive scale.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🍸 Beverage Director Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World | Orlando
Set the creative vision for every cocktail, wine, and mocktail experience at Central Florida's most luxurious resort, mentoring sommeliers and bartenders while managing the P&L and supplier relationships.
💰 Competitive salary + Forbes Five Star perks | 👉 Learn More & Apply
⚡ Project Manager Gaylor Electric | Orlando
Plan, budget, and deliver electrical and mission-critical construction projects from start to finish for one of the industry's most respected firms, with a team behind you and a growing market to grow with.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📚 Supervisor, Part-Time Barnes and Noble Education | Orlando (Campus location)
Lead the bookstore floor at a college campus hub, coaching team members and keeping operations running smoothly in a retail environment that actually supports education.
💰 Competitive hourly + employee discount + DailyPay | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Check out 100’s of jobs on the Orlando Signal Job Board, right here.
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Seafood shacks and empty beaches edition
Nobody thinks to go to Myrtle Beach in November. That’s exactly the point. The summer circus has packed up, the prices drop, and suddenly this stretch of South Carolina coastline reveals what it’s actually about. Brookgreen Gardens alone is worth the trip, 9,000 acres of stunning sculpture gardens and wildlife that somehow most people have never heard of. Drive down to Murrell’s Inlet, the self-proclaimed Seafood Capital of South Carolina, where the marshwalk is lined with waterfront restaurants serving she-crab soup and fresh catch that’ll wreck you for Red Lobster forever. Poke around Pawleys Island for the afternoon, swing through charming little Conway on the way back.
Orlando (MCO) → Myrtle Beach (MYR) for 158 bucks* (non-stop!), round-trip Thursday through Sunday, mid-November. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ SOFT OPENED: Matcha Mama - Durian Scoops, Matcha, and Pure Joy
Matcha Mama (Insta) just landed on International Drive. Eight house-made gelatos: Jasmine Matcha, Yuzu Bergamot, Durian, and more, with zero added sweeteners and all the flavor. Chase it with a Japan-sourced matcha drink, or just plop a scoop on top. Soft opening. Go now.
2️⃣ OPENING EARLY 2027: Burrito Guyz - Burritos With a Passport
Apopka’s lunch game just got upgraded. Burrito Guyz (Insta), all the way from Canada, is rolling in with a fast-casual concept that lets you build your own burrito or taco at the counter, and the ingredient lineup goes way beyond the usual. Expect tikka-style chicken and shawarma rubbing elbows with classic Mexican staples.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Dripping in green
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Lake Nona
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Lert Thai Street Food
📍12094 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL 32817. Map to this location.
A husband-and-wife team near UCF is cooking some of the most honest Thai food in East Orlando. Most people still haven’t found it, but lucky you!
Lert Thai Street Food (Insta) goes way beyond the standard pad Thai rotation. The kitchen, run by an Isan Zaap alum, pulls from Isan and Lao traditions: fermented papaya salad, crispy rice salad with sausage, char-grilled moo ping with sticky rice.
The familiar dishes show up too, just done better than you’d expect.
Small room. Big flavors. Order the crispy rice salad and thank yourself later.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: Lert Thai Street Food
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎃 Pumpkin Patch on Park
📅 Saturday, October 10th through Sunday, October 25th | Mon-Thu 3-7pm
📍 Winter Park City Hall lawn, Park Avenue
Pick the perfect pumpkin, snap a fall photo, and stroll Park Avenue knowing every purchase supports the local businesses and charm that make the Avenue so special.
👉 Fall for Park Ave
🧪 Basic Witch Mixology at JoJo's Pumpkin Patch
📅 Monday, October 19th | 6-8pm
📍 JoJo's Pumpkin Patch Orlando
Grab your cauldron and learn to craft a BOO-Cardi Rum Punch and Caramel Apple Mule from expert bartenders. Girls' night, date night, or solo witch night all work perfectly here.
👉 Brew Something Wicked
🎹 The Billy Joel Legacy
📅 Tuesday, October 20th | 7:30pm
📍 The Plaza Live
A night of Piano Man perfection celebrating the timeless hits of Billy Joel. Sing along, you know every word.
👉 Piano Man
🌿 Polasek Nights: Into the Wild
📅 Tuesday, October 20th | 6-8pm
📍 Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens
Wander Clyde Butcher's stunning photography after dark with Everglades soundscapes, black-and-white Polaroid moments, and a cash bar while supporting local wetlands conservation.
👉 Wild After Dark
🍽️ Dinner is Served: A Crime and Culinary Experience
📅 Wednesday, October 21st | 6pm and 8pm
📍 Maxine's On Shine
Back by popular demand! A sold-out favorite returns with a three-course dinner, 1950s dark comedy, Roald Dahl-inspired twists, and a murder you definitely won't see coming.
👉 Deadly Delicious
🎧 Pretty Sweet at Celine Orlando
📅 Thursday, October 22nd | 10pm-2am
📍 Celine Orlando
High-energy electronic music takes over one of Orlando's hottest venues for a late-night dance party you won't want to miss.
👉 Dance All Night
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
